Joints of walls, roofs, and the like constructed from preformed panels or slabs



BRUNTON ET AL UCTED FROM PREFORMED PANELS OR SLABS Filed July 14, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 J g 1 g E a ,8. 6

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JOINTS OF WALLS, ROQF S AND THE LIKE CONSTRUCTED FROM PREFORMED PANELS 0R SLABS Filed July 14, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EGAQ 1014 12 lEOLFE 6. 5 oo-rH Patented Oct. 9, 1945 1211s oRsLABs r 2,386,38 a t t 1 JOINTS'OFiWALL'S, ROOFSQIAND enema i ,GONSTRUCTED FROM' PREFORMEDV PAN? PATE Y QFFICE Bernard Brmiton'andRolfe Gilbert Boothf 1i I "This invention relates to the joints of Walls, roots and the like constructed from preformed panels; or slabs. The invention is particularly concerned with the walls'androofjsof hutments and like buildings constructed from preformed 7 panelsor slabs, and objectsof thejinvention are to provide v for rapid erection or'building of the walhor roofand'to ensure of, samejbeing built 'aspacing element, and there is or are provided one or more cover pieces through which holes are formed, in the course of manufacture of said cover piece or pieces, said holes serving for the passage of screws or nails which are driven into the panels or spacing element for the purpose a a v v v i V faces ofthe panels; Intl ie case of a joint beof securing or clamping the panels in their spaced apart positions. In one convenient arrangement two sets of holes are formed through a cover piece, these holes being obliquely disposed so that screws or nails passed through said holes of one set will be driven diagonally into one panel or slab; and screws or nails passed through the holes of the other set.wi11 be driven into the other panel-or slab, the eifect of said screws being to draw the panels or slabs towards one another, the interposed spacing element serving correctly to space apart saidadiacent panels or slabs relatively to one another during the erection or building of the wall or roof.

Preferably the mutually-opposed edgesof the panels or slabs are chamfered on each'side to provide. accommodation at the joint in one wall for the correspondingly chamfered edge of a panel orslabof another wall'in forming a threeor'four-way junction. The angleof chamfer conveniently may be forty-five degrees and thear rangement such that the planes of chamfer intersect. one another at theaxis of the spacing element. Preferably said chamfer faces bedflat on toseating facesof. the cover piece.

,According to different embodiments of the invention the spacing element may be in the form of a loose piece suitably. held in place whilst relatively positioning the panels, the cover piece being subsequently fitted, or said spacing element may be formed integral with the cover piece.

4 Claims.

'5' e la e 1.

London, England Application July 14, 1943, SerialNo. 494,714 In Great Britain April 22, 1942':

The {cover be formed with marginal portionsadapted to overlap the panels or it may be formed to occupy th space formed by v he chamferin ff the panels so as to lie flush with T Pr ormed hqle n hef r' en that the screws, or nail's', are ,drivenin the desired direction and, into the required part,

In orie'embodiment i the invention the spac- 16 ing mearis consists of a separate tongue piece having the full height of the panels, and engaging into; the; adjacent edges of adjoining panels for mutual location and interlock of said'panels. 'I'heZtongue piecel may consist of'a bar which 5 has; a o y o t o ofathi ness proximat y equal to the width of the grooved panel edges at the head of vthe chainfer; that is to say the paneledges are 'chan fered' off to form, edge faces havinga'widtli approximating the thickness of 20 the barf The balris formed with centrally disposed projecting rib-'like tongues by reduction of; its thiclrness; said tongues being adapted to ngage into. the grooves of adjacent panels whilst the body portionsof the bar bed on ,t o the.'edge tween two panelsarranged in vertical coplanar relation,.the bar will be formed with two tongues,

esei ne i osed on s te id s o the banand the cover pieces will be shaped to .fo1-.

iowj t eic ntour, r e int so a o, bed u n marginal face portions of the panels. andupon the bodyfportionof the bar- In cases where three, orfour; walls meet atthe joint, the bar maybe of the aboveflescribed form so that only tionsLof, the .panels in the locality of the junc tion,

ance with' .the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings all of which are crosssectional Views showing joints in such strucure -fin. th t, w .nss-- Figure 1 showsa joint according to one embodiment of the invention connecting panels arranged in coplanar relation,

figures? and 3, respectively show a three-way and four-way joint according to the same embodiment of the invention,

T Figure f1 shows a corner joint'according to the sam mbod men o n ion Figure 5*show's a joint according to another twolof the walls are tongue engaged or the. bar

Wall structures" o f practicaI fQrm in accordsubstance or with an organic binder such as synthetic resin, facing layers llv of substantially rigid sheet material such as plywood 'orasbestos cement, and a surrounding wooden or other frame l2. However, the panels can be of any other convenient form provided that they have the required external configuration as herein after set forth. I v I In the embodiment of the invention shown'in Figures 1 to 4, the frame l2 of each panel is recessed on opposite sides to receive the facing sheets ll so that the outer faces of said sheets H are flush with the outer faces of the frame. The frame is chamfered on each side to provide the bevel faces I 3 and the outer face of the frame is formed with a centrally disposed groove l4.-

In erecting the wall a spacing bar I5 is interposed between adjacent panels, said bar being formed with oppositely extending tongue portions l6 by reducing its thickness. Said tongue portions engage as a close fit into the panel frame grooves Hi, the main body portion of the bar If) constituting aspacing element between the panels. On the respective sides of the wall structure there are provided cover pieces each consisting of a strip l1 arranged to overlie the joint and having shoulder portions l8 adapted to bed on marginal face portions of the adjacent panels. Each cover strip extends the full height of the panels orthe height of two or more courses of panels. Between said shoulder portions I8 the cover piece is formed with a wedge-like throat portion l9 having its sides inclined at 45 degrees to provide faces adapted to bed fiat on the chamfer surfaces 13 of the panels. The end face 2| of the throat portion is flat and is adapted to bed upon the body portionv of the tongued bar I 5. Thus the cover piece has intimate contact with all of the exposed faces of the parts in the locality of the joint. In each of the cover pieces I! there are preformed holes. These holes pass through the cover piece froma central groove or recess 22 formed in the outer surface of said cover piece, and they comprise a series of holes 23 obliquely inclined in one direction so as to .emerge from one of the inclined throat faces 20, another seriesv of holes 24 obliquely inclined in another direction so as to emerge from the other inclined face 20 of the throat, the holes being perpendicular to said respective faces, and a central series of holes 25 extending perpendicular to the outer face of the cover piece. The inclined holes 23, 24 serve for the passage of screws 26 adapted to be driven into the respective panels,

and the central holes 25 serve for the passage.

of screws 2! adapted to be driven into the body portion of the tongued bar l5.

The above described construction is such that the planes of the panel chamfer faces I 3 intersect one another at the axis of the spacing bar I 5.

The method of assembly consists in erecting one panel, placing the tongued bar I5 in position so that one of its tongues l6 engages into thegroove M in the adjacent edge of the'panel, placing the next panel in position so as to be engaged by the other tongue 16 ofthe bar,,p1acing the chamfer faces [3 of the aligned panels.

cover pieces I! in position at the respective sides of the structure, passing screws 21 through the preformed central holes 25 in the cover pieces and driving them into the tongued bar l5 and then (or after completing these operations along the length of the wall) passing screws 26 through the inclined preformed holes in the cover strip and driving said screws into the frames of the panels.

Referring now to Figure 2, a joint between three walls meeting at a T-junction is formed as .above i set forth except that the cover piece is omitted where the third wall 26 meets the aligned walls. The chamfer faces 13 of the panel of said third wall approximately meet the adjacent Rightangular quadrantal cover pieces 29 are provided a for fitting into the corners between the third wall panel and the aligned panels, each of said quad- I rantal cover pieces having a series of preformed holes 30 emerging at the corner. Screws 3| which are passed through said holes are driven down through the joint between the meeting chamfer faces [3 of the panels so as to bit into said chamfer faces and said screws become driven into the body portion of the tongued bar l5. Screws 2! passed through the preformed holes 25 are driven through and beyond the bar I 5 so as to become driven into the frame of panel 28.

In the case of the four-way wall junction shown in Figure 3, two of the opposite walls have their panel grooves l4 engaged by the tongued bar 15, and all cover pieces 29 are of right-angular quadrantal form, the screws 3i being passed through thepreformed holes 30 in said cover pieces and biting into the chamfer faces 13 of the panels and screwing into the body portion of the tongued bar I5.

In forming a, joint between two walls which meet one another at a right angle as shown in Figure 4, the tongued bar I5 is dispensed with and there is provided a cover piece 32 shaped to face off the corner in chamfered fashion, said cover piece having marginal shoulder portions 33 inclined at 45 degrees to bed on to marginal face portions of the panels, and having a right-angular wedge portion 34 on its inner face which fits into the space between the end faces of the panels. If so desired said wedge portion 34. may have tongues forengaging into the panel grooves. Preformed holes 35 for screws pass through the cover piece to enable screws 36 to be driven into the panels and other screws 31 to be driven through the joint between said panels and into a quadrantal cover piece 29 on the opposite side of the joint.

Where it is necessary to provide another structural element, such as a column, or door frame, in place of a panel, said element will be grooved and shaped as above described with reference to panel edges for enabling the joints to be formed in the manner above set forth, and cover pieces of suitably modified shape will be provided where level faces are not present. In other cases the cover pieces can be suitably formed to provide other structural parts such as a window head and sill.

It will be understood that the body portion of the tongued bar. [5 determines the spacing apart; of the aligned panels, and this ensures that in cases where another wall is to meet said aligned panels, the chamfer faces l3 of said other wall will properly meet and bed flat upon the chamfer faces 13 of the aligned panels. Moreover, building of t e Wall to accurate base line dimensions will be ensured: The preformed holes ensure that the screws are driven in the required direction and-intothe proper part. The screws 26 (Figures 1.and-2.). serve to draw the adjacent panels in a direction towards one another so that theirchamfer faces 13 bed upon. the inclined throat faces of. the. cover. piece. Likewise the screws 36' (Figure 4) draw'the panels. into position against the internal surface. and wedge; portion .3'4 oft the corner cover piece. The "screws 3i (Figures 2 and 3) which'pass through-the quadrantal cover pieces 29rbite intothe chamferfaces l3 of the panels and draw the said cover pieces towards the spac ing bar l5, thereby causing said cover pieces to exert firm clamping pressure onthe panels; likewise the screw 31 (Figure 4) which is driven into the" quadrantal cover piece 29, causes the latter to exert firm clamping pressure on the two panels meeting at a corner.

Referring now to Figure 5, the panels are formed as above described, but instead of a spacing bar being provided which is separate from the cover piece, said cover piece is formed integrally with an extending rib or stem 38 which enters the space between the opposed edges of adjacent panels and constitutes a spacing element. The said rib or stem 38 may be of such a length that the ribs or stems of identical cover pieces provided on opposite sides of the joint nearly meet one another as shown, but if there is such a cover piece on one side only of the joint then the rib or stem portion may be extendedto occupy the whole of that space shown as occupied by the body portion of the spacing bar in Figure 2. The grooves I4 of the panel'frames are unoccupied although they will serve to receive mastic waterproofing material if so desired. In erecting the wall the cover piece I! is placed in position when bringing the panels into their proper relation, so that the rib or stem 38 will determine the space that is to exist between the said panels. As in Figures 1 and 2, the screws 26 passed through preformed holes 23, 24 will draw the panels properly into seating contact with the panel throat faces 20 and spacing rib or stem 38.

In the construction shown in Figure 6, which is a modification of that shown in Figure 5, the

panel frame l2 has the same thickness as the core [0, so that the facing layers H overlie and are exposed at the sides of said frame. The cover strip I! has a stepped configuration between its shoulder portions l8 and rib 38 to provide a parallel-sided throat portion l9 adapted to lie approximately in the plane of the facing sheets ll of the adjacent panels or slabs and occupy the space which exists between the mutually opposed edges of said facing sheets, said throat portion having the same thickness as said facing sheets.

Two V-shaped grooves 39 are formed in the outer face of the cover piece, said grooves being equidistant from the centre line, and a series of preformed holes 40 adapted to receive fixing screws extends from the inner wall of each groove and obliquely across the cover piece and through the throat portion I9 thereof, the plane of the holes which extend from one groove intersecting the plane of the holes which extend from the other groove.

Preferably the cover portion of thestrip is grooved as at 4| on its undersurface on each side of the throat portion. The construction is such that the underface of the throat portion 19 will Ingcases'where necessary, particularly for roof work, bituminous or other waterproof gapfill-ing mastic substance may be packedintothejoint; and those surfaces of the panels which are over lapped by the" cover"-piece can be coated with such substance; i r The'cover piece inany of the constructions described can be formed in one piece or may be built up from separate parts of the same or different materials constituting the outer covering portion and the throat or in the case of Figures 5 and 6 constituting the outer covering portion, the throat and the rib respectively. An additional strip-like part of suitable form may be provided for covering the screw heads.

As a modification of any of the constructions described, the cover piece may have an outer or head portion which corresponds to the throat portion as hereinbefore described and has its outer surface flush with the outer faces of the panels so that an entirely flush joint results.

We claim:

1. In a building wall or the like, at least a tions fitting in the central grooves of adjacent frames and also having opposite strip abutment faces, a joint covering strip having its inner side provided with shoulder portions for overlapping contiguous areas of the panelsand also having an intermediate throat portion adapted to fit substantially between the ends of adjacent frames, said strip having an outer face including a groove whose bottom corners are formed With oblique fastening applying surfaces which are disposed parallel to the convergently related abutment faces of the panel frames, whereby, a fastening piercing said fastening applying surfaces at right angles thereto also pierces and imbeds itself in said abutment'faces, thereby firmly to clamp the strips and panels rigidly to the spacing bar.

2. In a building wall or the like, means for providing a secure joint between two or more panels, each having a marginal frame including an edge portion provided with convergently related inclined faces, comprising a centrally disposed bar of substantially cruciform cross section adapted to engage with said panel frames to form a joint, strips adapted to overlap parts of said panels, and fastening means for said strips adapted to secure the said panel frames and said centrally disposed bar together in their engaged positions to form the said joint.

.3. In a building wall or the like, means for joining a plurality of panels together, each of said panels having a marginal frame including an edge portion provided with convergently related inclined abutment faces and a central groove, a spacing bar of substantially cruciform cross section having tongue portions adapted to fit into the central grooves of certain of said frames and also having abutment faces for engaging with the edge of certain of said frames, cover pieces adapted to overlap portions of said panels, and fastening members for said cover the edge of certain of said frames, said inclined abutment faces of each frame engaging with one contiguous inclined face of the next frame so as to form a continuous enclosing frame structure around said spacing bar with panelsiradiating therefrom in four directions, cover pieces adapted to overlap portions of said panels, and fastening members for said cover pieces adapted to penetrate into the said spacing bar to thereby l0 secure the frame structure of the panels together.

BERNARD BRUN'I'ON. ROLFE GILBERT BOOTH. 

